Giving and Charities
How to Give Foolishly
December 24, 1997

'Twas the night before Christmas
When all through Fool HQ
No market geek was stirring
Not even TMF School.

The stockings were hung
By the server with care
In hopes that the Christmas bonus
Soon would be there.

The techies were snug
All warm in their cots
While Tom rummaged the tree
To see what he'd got.

TMF Czar snored softly
As he clutched his Space Ghost
While Bogey sipped eggnog
And answered a post.

When up on the roof
There arose such a clatter
That I lept up from my screen
To see what was the matter.

The moon over Old Town
Gave the Potomac a glow.
The Christmas lights were blazing,
The streets covered in snow.

I turned back to my keyboard
To check my e-mail
When what caught my eye
But my Belle wagging her tail.

Belle's muzzle was clenched
from her throat there was growling,
she was chomping on Santa
and he was a-howlin'!

"Please call off your dog!"
Santa screamed with a fright.
I thought for a moment
And called back, "I might."

"I have a few requests
Not too many, just a few.
But you're the only one
I trust to come through."

"There's the Fool Port, you know,
That I'd like to go up.
Make that happen, Old Santa,
And I'll call off the pup."

Santa turned and asked,
"Trudy, how are you living?
The stock market's important
But Christmas is about giving."

"Spend time with your family
And time with your kids.
I've written a Play Dough
to make sure that you did."

And here are 10 short tips
on how best to give money.
Before you write out a check
Make sure the cause is worthy."

The art of giving
is really why I am here.
I heard of your good works
spreading holiday cheer.

The Fool's SOS Campaign
Will help people to eat.
It can put an end to hunger
and make sure that it's beat.

Then Santa jumped in his sleigh
Whistling a tune of the yule
And away they all flew
Waving goodbye to the Fool.

But I heard him advise
As he drove out of sight,
"Stop watching that Asian market
Or you'll be up all night!"

--Trudy Hoyden
(TMF Hoyden)

(c) Copyright 1997, The Motley Fool. All rights reserved. This material is for personal use only. Republication and redissemination, including posting to news groups, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of The Motley Fool.